The perfect recipe for Matilda chocolate cake

We really empathize with the poor kid who stole that slice of chocolate cake in Matilda and got punished for it. When Trunchbull, the mean headmistress finds out Bruce Bogtrotter stole a slice of her chocolate cake, she forces him to down an entire chocolate cake in front of the whole school, which he might have actually enjoyed, at least initially. The kid in the end stops enjoying the cake, but he finishes it all amid cheers from the entire school, which was something the cruel headmistress perhaps didn’t anticipate. While that’s the magic of Roald Dahl’s imagination, let’s turn the luscious chocolate cake into reality with this Matilda cake recipe.

Matilda Chocolate Cake

(Serves 14)

Ingredients

• 315 gm all-purpose flour
• 350 gm granulated sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 60 gm Cadbury cocoa powder
• 145 ml vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 160 ml buttermilk
• 240 ml hot coffee

Chocolate Fudge Frosting:

• 315 gm unsalted butter
• 400 gm Cadbury Bournville 70% dark chocolate
• 30 gm Cadbury cocoa powder
• 320 gm heavy cream
• 160 gm powdered sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Prepare two 8-inch baking pans by lining both the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add flour, granulated sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Sift cocoa powder into the same bowl. Using a whisk, mix until they are evenly distributed.
3. To the bowl of dry ingredients, add buttermilk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and eggs. Using a whisk or electric mixer on medium speed, mix until almost combined.
4. Pour in the hot coffee and continue mixing until just combined and you no longer see any flour lumps in the batter. The consistency at this point should be quite runny and smooth, almost like a thick chocolate sauce. 
5. Carefully divide the cake batter between the two prepared 8-inch baking pans. 
6. Transfer the pans to the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. You'll know they're done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
7. Once baked, let the cakes cool completely in the pans for about 10-15 minutes, then carefully turn them out onto the cooling rack to finish cooling. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting – even slightly warm cakes will cause the frosting to melt.
8. While the cakes are cooling, prepare the chocolate fudge frosting. In a medium-sized saucepan, add butter, heavy cream, and dark chocolate. Then sift the cocoa powder and powdered sugar directly into the saucepan to ensure no lumps. Add the salt.
9. Heat over medium-high heat and stir constantly using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, as it heats. Continue stirring until all melted and smooth with no chunks of chocolate remaining.
10. To ensure the frosting is perfectly smooth, strain the entire mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl or shallow baking pan.
11. Immediately cover the surface of the frosting with plastic wrap, making sure the wrap is directly touching the entire surface of the chocolate mixture, to prevent milk skin formation. 
12. Allow the frosting to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then transfer it to the refrigerator and let it continue cooling for 1-2 hours. The longer you cool, the thicker your frosting will be.
13. Take out the frosting from the refrigerator, once ready to assemble the cake. On a serving plate, pipe a small dollop of frosting in the center. This will act as the glue to keep the cake in place. Place the first cake layer on top of this dollop, pressing down gently to secure it.
14. Using an offset spatula or regular spatula, spread approximately one-third of the frosting on top of this first layer. Take your time to create an even layer, working from the center outward. Make sure the frosting extends slightly beyond the edges of the cake.
15. Place the second cake layer on top of the frosted first layer, pressing down very gently to secure it. With the remaining frosting and cover the top and sides of the cake with a generously. 
16. Using an offset spatula, create decorative waves in the frosting by gently pressing and pulling the spatula through the frosting. Note: If you have more frosting than needed, store the excess in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week for future use.